The factory farming of Bill Gates and other corporatist gangsters with its GMO's, cruel & excessive animal-herding, and synthetic-chemical preservatives & pesticides, only leads to food waste, obesity, poverty of the people, big money for the corporatocracy, and general major pollution & destruction.

FINLAND, Minn. - The million-strong Organic Consumers Association (OCA), North America's leading watchdog over organic and fair trade standards, said today that it is encouraged by Whole Foods Markets' plan, announced last week, to support consumers' right to know by requiring labeling of all foods containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in its U.S. and Canadian stores by 2018.

However, the OCA called on Whole Foods, the nation's largest national organic foods retailer, to move up its labeling deadline to July 2015, and to take the lead in the organic industry to end deceptive labeling practices by requiring all the stores' products that include the word "natural" in their labeling or packaging to be GMO-free.

"We are pleased that Whole Foods has finally recognized consumers' right to know about GMOs," said Ronnie Cummins, National Director of the OCA. "This is a major victory for U.S. consumers who have for far too long been denied basic information which would enable them to make safe, healthy food choices. This also represents a major defeat for Monsanto and the rest of the biotech industry who have been deceiving consumers since they first conspired more than 20 years ago with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration to falsely convince consumers that genetically modified foods are no different than foods that don't contain organisms created by manipulating DNA in laboratories or by injecting seeds with bacteria and pesticides."

But the Whole Foods plan does not go far enough, Cummins said. "We ask that Whole Foods step up its timetable for GMO labeling, to coincide with the July 2015 deadline prescribed by I-522, the citizens' initiative for GMO labeling in Washington State. We also call on Whole Foods to stop selling products that contain GMOs under the misleading "natural" label, and to require any product in its store called "natural" be GMO-free."

Washington's I-522 is expected to pass in November 2013, becoming the first statewide mandatory GMO labeling law. The law establishes July 2015 as the deadline for compliance. Whole Foods Markets already complies with the U.K.'s mandatory GMO labeling law in its seven stores in that country.

Whole Foods came under fire last year when the company dragged its feet in supporting Proposition 37, California's Right to Know GMO Labeling citizens' initiative. In October, CEO John Mackey confirmed in a blog post that Whole Foods stores knowingly sell Monsanto's genetically modified corn, without labeling it.

Last week, the OCA launched a new nationwide campaign: Organic Retail and Consumer Alliance (ORCA). The new alliance will aggressively promote organic food and products, and expose and eliminate the rampant "natural" labeling and marketing fraud that has slowed the growth of America's $30-billion dollar organic sector.

"Routine mislabeling and marketing fraud has confused millions of U.S. consumers, and enabled the so-called "natural" foods and products sector to grow into a $60-billion- a-year powerhouse, garnering twice as many sales in 2012 as certified organic products," said Cummins. "It's time we stopped allowing food companies to market unhealthy food products, containing GMOs, pesticides, and synthetic and chemical compounds, as "natural," and we call on Whole Foods Market to take the first step."

The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) is an online and grassroots non-profit 501(c)3 public interest organization campaigning for health, justice, and sustainability. The Organic Consumers Fund is a 501(c)4 allied organization of the Organic Consumers Association, focused on grassroots lobbying and legislative action.

Lhug-pa, "It seems as if Whole Foods Market is stalling.... I wonder why?"

We all know the labeling laws in the west are weak and lack transparency, even worse in the third world. We have no idea what goes on behind closed doors nor the give and take of negotiations and the tremendous clout of Monsanto! Did the whole food market buckle under pressure from lobby groups and the government? More then likely.

Greentara, did you mean to write "even worse *than* in the third world"?

Anyway, even though what you say is a pretty accurate assessment of the situation in the U.S., holding Whole Foods Market's feet to the fire (as it was put in the first article I posted in this thread) seems to be doing at least something positive.

Therefore let's keep speaking up, signing petitions, etc.; and keep boycotting products that Whole Foods Market carries which are owned by unethical (understatement of the year) corporations presented as if they're made by more independent companies.

For example kellog's "Kashi" (Ca$hi, rather), or pepsi's "Naked Juice", or coca-cola's ""Honest" Tea" (LOL), or the product called "Back to Nature" which is anything but "Back to Nature" because it is owned by Kraft. All of "Back to Nature's", excuse me, Kraft's non-certified-organic products (which is most of them) are no doubt full of GMO's. Well, I guess Kraft just sold some of its "Back to Nature" shares to Brynwood Partners, but there's nothing that indicates that Brynwood isn't simply another corporatist entity.

One example of a quality product produced by an ethical company that Whole Foods Market actually does carry, is Nature's Path:

It's very doubtful/unlikely that Whole Foods Market would be a GMA member, I just think this is a good thread to post the following in:

OrganicConsumers.org wrote: The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), the trade group representing Coca-Cola, Pepsi, ConAgra, Unilever, General Mills and hundreds of other food companies, recently circulated a letter claiming that consumers – that means you - have created an “unprecedented period of turmoil” for food companies. How? Simply by demanding that they label the genetically engineered ingredients in their products.

While a cornucopia of healthy food alternatives are available at the local level, from small organic farmers to urban gardeners to raw milk distribution networks and community supported agriculture projects, the USDA National Organic Program is the only system to provide certified national and global standards for organic food that is distributed regionally, nationally, and internationally.Foods labeled "USDA Organic" are the gold standard for health and sustainability at the retail and wholesale level. Organics provide a beacon of light in grocery store aisles to guide consumers away from GMOs and chemical-tainted junk foods.

Consumer demand for healthy and eco-friendly food has built the organic market into a $30 billion a year powerhouse, and has forced even the largest retailers, wholesalers and brand names to get into organics.

While we oppose the "Walmartization" of organic, we are happy to see that even our adversaries are being forced to market and sell organic products.

While OCA's campaigns against worker abuses, GMOs, factory farming, and the many poisons used in industrial food production, are aimed at tearing down a deadly system, our work to keep organic standards strong guarantees that even the big corporate players must "play by the rules" if they are to call their products organic.

Also, there are campaigns for both "liberal" and "conservative" minded people there^. The point is that many "liberals" and "conservatives" are getting sick of living under a corporatocracy and its international-bankster elitists (and their crony organizations like the FDA); and Buycott helps to avoid major corporatist-affiliated products whether one is more "liberal"-minded or "conservative"-minded.

By the way, I actually shop at Whole Foods Market more than anywhere, because they're still better than Sprouts Market and Trader Joe's. And there isn't much going on in my city for local one-stop organic grocery shopping. A new store called Real Foods Market just opened though, and they're better than Sprouts and Trader Joe's; so I should shop at Real Foods Market more.

Anyway, the point of starting this thread was to show that it's great that independent media got Whole Foods Market to label GMO's. Let's just see it happen faster.

Also, moderators, perhaps this thread ought to get moved to Enaged Buddhism or Wellness, Diet and Fitness....

I have to say that although five years to complete the process for labels for all things gmo might seem long it is not that bad actually. Its not a matter of putting stickers on boxes. Its a matter of getting vendors to change there labeling on all packaging. There are hundreds or possible thousands of vendors in wholefoods. Also they use local regional companies for many many products to its also getting smaller companies to spend money to label their products and perhaps get third party certified. That can be a pain in the ass for a small mom and pop set up.

Also, whole foods is the most transparent company I have ever worked for. Oh yeah. I work for them haha. But seriously there are always things they can do better but they really are a company that has a lot of vision. I will give you one example that might not be know to the public, well part of it is. WF is organic certified, in fact they are the only company in the us that is, at least in the retail grocery side. This means for example, if a non organic apple touches the organic ones, they have to get rid of the whole organic pile of apples. In the cold storage,organics must be 15 feet minimum from non organics.

I'm sure im you go to Vons or Acme or Safeway, they dont Give a sh*t about small things like that.

But anyway, Its great that they are upping their game on the GMO thing.

It has a lot to do with things like cereals, spreads, sauces etc.... so many ingredients to monitor. There could be like .01% of some soy extract or thickener in a sauce and that is 99.99 organic, now that will get a gmo label on it. So it is pretty awesome to go though that much effort to inform us. As well look at there grading system for meat and seafood. They actually tell you to think about buying the fish fist since it could be overfished soon. Any other place telling you to think about buying something first? dont think so. That would be like a car dealer telling you "well, I know you like the car, but think about buying it, it might use to much gas, and gas is damaging to the environment."